Fossil Fuels: Formation, Types, and Uses

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, substances, processes, and classifications associated with fossil fuels as discussed in the lecture notes.

Fossil Fuels

Energy resources—coal, petroleum, and natural gas—formed from prehistoric plant and animal remains subjected to heat, pressure, and millions of years of burial.

Coal

Combustible sedimentary rock rich in carbon and hydrocarbons; widely used for electricity generation, metal and cement production, and various industrial processes.

Petroleum (Crude Oil)

Naturally occurring liquid mixture of complex hydrocarbons that can be separated by fractional distillation into fuels like gasoline and diesel and feedstocks for petrochemicals.

Natural Gas

Gaseous fossil fuel whose primary component is methane, with smaller amounts of ethane, propane, butane, and other gases; used for heating, power generation, and chemical manufacturing.

Peat

Partially decayed plant material forming the earliest stage of coal formation before being subjected to greater heat and pressure.

Lignite

Lowest-rank brown coal containing 25–35 % carbon, high moisture, low heating value, and relatively young geological age.

Subbituminous Coal

Intermediate coal rank containing about 35–45 % carbon and a lower heating value than bituminous coal.

Bituminous Coal

Common mid-to-high rank coal with 45–86 % carbon, used to generate electricity and as a key raw material in iron and steel production.

Anthracite

Highest-rank coal containing 86–97 % carbon, highest heating value, and mainly employed by the metals industry.

Hydrocarbon

Organic compound composed solely of hydrogen and carbon; fundamental building block of fossil fuels.

Fractional Distillation

Refining process in which heated crude oil is separated into fractions according to boiling points—producing gasoline, kerosene, diesel, etc.

Petrochemical

Chemical product derived from petroleum or natural gas, used to manufacture plastics, resins, fibers, solvents, and many consumer goods.

Methane (CH₄)

Simplest hydrocarbon and largest component of natural gas.

Ethane (C₂H₆)

Light hydrocarbon in natural gas used as a feedstock to produce ethylene for plastics.

Propane (C₃H₈)

Hydrocarbon gas separated from natural gas and petroleum, bottled as LPG for heating, cooking, and fuel.

Butane (C₄H₁₀)

Hydrocarbon gas obtained during natural gas processing and oil refining, used in lighters and as an aerosol propellant.

Gasoline

Light petroleum fraction distilled below ~60 °C, primarily used as motor fuel.

Naphtha

Petroleum fraction distilled between ~60–180 °C, employed as a solvent and petrochemical feedstock.

Diesel

Mid-range petroleum fraction (~220–250 °C) used in compression-ignition engines for transportation and machinery.

Fuel Oil

Heavy petroleum fraction distilled between ~250–300 °C, burned in furnaces, boilers, and marine engines.

Lubricating Oil

Viscous petroleum fraction distilled around 300–350 °C, used to reduce friction and wear in machinery.

Bitumen

Residual semi-solid fraction left after crude oil distillation (> 350 °C); employed in road asphalt and roofing materials.

Plastics

Synthetic materials chiefly produced from petrochemicals such as ethylene and propylene derived from fossil fuels.

Sedimentation

Process by which dead organic matter accumulates and is buried by layers of mud, silt, or sand, initiating fossil fuel formation.

Heat and Pressure

Geological forces that, over millions of years, convert buried organic matter into coal, oil, and natural gas.

Non-renewable Resource

Resource that exists in finite quantities and cannot be replenished on a human time scale—e.g., fossil fuels.